"Many micro and macro law enforcement decisions continue to be guided not by information, analysis and research, but by anecdotes, vague notions of 'common sense,' crises, organizational culture, organizational history, or 'best guesses.' Yet, evidence and information is essential in supporting law enforcement decision making, especially for a police activity like high-speed pursuits that can have serious consequences." [IACP: Police Pursuits in an Age of Innovation and Reform|images/IACP_Pursuits.pdf].

The idea of Empirical Evidence comes from that quote. So, let's get to work:

6. Regarding the importance of taking into consideration the crime committed, a National Institute of Justice research brief noted, "The study indicates the importance of the perceived severity of the offense committed by the fleeing suspect as the major factor in determining whether or not police should engage in or continue a chase. Therefore, policy might focus first on the type of offense and second on risks to the public, especially traffic patterns and congestion."

5. According to the IACP, more than half of pursuit crashes occur during the first two minutes.

4. A study published in the American Journal of Police analyzed offenders who flee police and found the typical criminal to be young, male, unlicensed, and have a high blood-alcohol content.

3. A Police Foundation report noted the "Orlando, Florida, Police Department documented that only 107 suspects fled from more than 40,000 stops between March 2004 and February 2005. This occurred after the department’s highly restrictive pursuit policy was made public."

2. A study for the National Institute of Justice found that "Increasing the number of vehicles involved in police pursuits increased the likelihood of apprehension, but also the chance of accidents, injuries, and property damage."

1. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police's (IACP) [Police Pursuit Database|images/IACP_Pursuits.pdf], "87% of recently modified policies were made more restrictive."